Dog the Bounty Hunter shares family's holiday plans after wife's death

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Dog the Bounty Hunter says Beth Chapman wanted their new series to capture her final months: 'I freaked out'

Duane 'Dog' Chapman of 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' fame says his late wife wanted their new series, titled 'Dog's Most Wanted,' to capture her final months battling cancer.

Duane "Dog" Chapman and his family are still in the healing process after the death of his wife, Beth Chapman.

The "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star opened up in a recent interview about his family's quiet holiday plans this year as they all cope with life without Beth who died in June after a long battle with throat cancer. She was 51 years old.

"For the holidays, probably half of us, including me, will be in Colorado, and then the other half is in Hawaii, and of course Leland [his son] is in Alabama," Chapman told Entertainment Tonight. "So this year, everybody's all spread out."

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At his Colorado home, 66-year-old Chapman is keeping his wife's spirit alive by keeping with her traditions.

"Beth was old style, old-fashioned. So, you know, that means the tree and the presents. All the stockings hung up… so I'm trying to keep that exact tradition," he described. "I've got it all decorated. All the stockings are hung. We always left -- when the kids were young -- cookies for Santa, and I think I'll do that this year also."

Beth Chapman, wife of Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman, died at age 51. (Getty)

The TV personality admitted that he finds solace in decorating the tree with ornaments the couple collected over their 20-year relationship.

"Every little ball that's on the tree, every ornament, you know, there's 20 years plus of ornaments on that tree, so as I hung [them], I remembered where and when we bought each one," he said.

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"Beth knew every single [Christmas song], and she made us all listen to Christmas songs like two weeks before Christmas. As we decorated the tree, she'd put on Christmas songs. Every night before we went to bed she'd put them on," Chapman recalled. "So I think the girls are taking it the hardest without being able to sing with mom."

Although some time has passed, he still describes Beth's death as the "worst thing" that he's gone through. "I've been to prison, I've been let out of prison. I've captured some of the worst sons of b*tches in the world, and nothing is worse than this," he said.

"It seems like yesterday. Six whole months already. And pretty soon it will be a year. It's really hard when you start thinking about how long it's been," he confessed. "I think that's the worst of all, because I can't believe it's been six months."

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Despite the tragedy, Chapman is still looking forward to what the new year will bring. "I'm doing much better with my health. I've almost quit smoking. That patch is a miracle. It's just amazing and I'm taking blood thinners for the blood clot in my lung and exercising. I always have worked out every day and I'm double that now," he shared. "So yeah, I need to live to get through my mission in life."